How did you handle a time you prioritized a personal matter over work?

Question

this is an interview question. i didn't know how to answer it because it never happened to me. please help me thanks!

let's say you have to go to an important family gathering and at the same time you have to attend an important meeting at work...

Answer 1

Is this an interview question?

Answer 2

I'm not sure what you are asking. There are times when prioritizing personal matters over work is the right thing to do. Examples of this are to care for a sick child, attending a funeral, be a part of a close friend's wedding, etc...

Most places of employment have vacation and/or sick leave policies. Some even offer "flex time" to allow you to schedule around your personal life.

Unless you are talking about something like blowing off work to go to the beach I see no conflict here.

This sounds like one of those BS interview questions that there is no right answer to. They just want to see how gracefully you can handle such an uncomfortable question. I would probably answer with something like: "This has never been a problem since I am usually able to schedule my personal time well in advance". If they continue to press you can say something like: "Of course unexpected events happen from time to time. The very few times I have had these occur have all fallen well within my employers 'emergency leave' guidelines."

Answer 3

I am a little confused by the question, but I think you are just asking us how we would answer the same or a similiar (worded differently I'm
sure) question posed to us by a potentiol employer duing a job interview.

Most of my jobs as an attorney , I have reached an agreement with my employer through a less formal setting, for example a lunch meeting where we discussed why he wanted me to join the firm and I in turn discussed what I am looking for in a job, I tell him what kind of law I do best (litigator-actual trial attorney)& I sell myself based on my past experience and by showing him what I can do to improve his office.

I am always very up front during these lunch meetings(which really are nothing more thna an interview if you think about it), I tell the potentiol employer about my family and I even volunteer far more information than an employer is legally permitted to ask duing an interview. But, I make it very clear that I have a child with special needs and that if my children ever need me my "family comes first in my life" I also explain that My ex husband and I both have very large extended family in the immdeiate area and that I cannot foresee a situation where the firm would need me and I would be unavailable, I could always make arrangmeents for someone to help me with my kids. As a trial attorney it is very hard to raise small children b/c we do not have 8-5 jobs, I cannot hire a baysitter and tell her that I will be home at 5, or 6 every day. I may get home a 3 one day , but if I am in trial i may get home at 6 or I may not get home until 9pm. Court does not end until the Judge recesses for the day. Most if not all are very sensitive to the issue of working parents and when we learn that we will be working past 6 pm, we take a break so that parents can make calls to arrange child care.

My point is : My family will always come first, but I am extremely dedicatd to my work. If I am in the middle of a jury trial and my daughter's class suddenly dediced to take an interesting field trip, as much as she would like for me to attent, I simply cannot just walk out of a trial to attend a field trip. on the other hand if in the middle of a jury trial i received a phone call that my 4 year old son had just fallen off the monkey bars at school and was being taken by ambulance to the closest hospital, i would leave immediately and the judge would end court for the day.

Planning is crucial. you have to plan your family events and work events so that they do not conflict.

My answer would be just that, Planning is crucial. I willl make every effort to plan my family events so that they never conflict with work events. I would assure the interviewer that they could count on me 100% , I would attend all required events and I would hope for reasonable notice to be given to me if I need to travel, etc., so that I can make child care arrangments,.

Another way of looking at your question. Suppose that a work event, such as a conference out of town had been planned for quite some time and the boss had chosen me as one of the few to attend, had pre=paid my cost, after I commit myself to this seminar which is not a make it or break it seminar for my career I get a call from my favorite cousin that she is getting married in Cancun Mexico in two months, a destination wedding, she is only inviting 20 people and she would be honored to have me as her matron of honor what do I do?????? I have an obligation to the prior job related committment. Hopefully I will have developed a good working relationship with my boss and other superiors, if the wedding is extremely important to me and I had never used an excuse to get out of any other event Iwould ask my boss if it would be possible to send another employee in my place. If however I had only been at my new job for 3 months I doubt I would ask for such a favor.

If you get your work done timely, do an excellent job and are known for being an emplyee that can be counted on. If you go out of your way to help others when they are in a jam and when you offer to cover for other employees when they have a family matter come up that requres them to miss work you will find that on the rare occasion that you need a favor returned people will line up to help you and your boss will bend over backwards to accomodate you. First you have to establish your track record as a great employee, reliable, trusworthy, loyal , dependable and willing to help others, a major team player. You do this and seldom will you be faced with a a situation where family and work conflict to the point that it casues a problem

Answer 4

Be more specific -- are we talking time wise?

10 minutes? 15? a day?

I had a child in crisis and a project due now -- child in crisis won -- try to find common ground with the person you must deal with and keep the necessary time to the least amount you need. I do not recommend that you do this often. Gets old real quick.

Answer 5

A person matter of importance always comes before work - not sure what you mean by your question??

Answer 6

Their can be no situation where I put my personal life before my work. My work is my life. I live to create fabulous and exciting dishes for the people to enjoy. How can you even suggest such a thing. If I had to choose between my own mother's funeral and work, I would certainly choose work. We must be dedicated to our art!

Answer 7

try explaining to your boss that you will function as an employee a whole lot better if you resolve the personal matter first so you can concentrate on your job